Cross-cultural Encounters through Indian Paintings
In 1766, Captain Archibald Swinton (1731–1804) returned to Scotland with a series of large, framed paintings that he had acquired during his time in India.
We are examining these paintings, now in the National Collection, as potential sites of cross-cultural encounters between Bengali artisans and Scotsman Archibald Swinton.
Last updated: 21 January 2026
Image gallery
Painting, possibly of Mir Ja‘far, Nawab of Bengal (r. 1757–1760 and 1763–1765), at his palace in Patna. Attributed to Puran Nath (Hunhar II), Murshidabad, West Bengal, India, c. 1757–1765. Museum reference: V.2021.35.
Nawab Siraj al-Dawla Bahadur (r. 1756–1757) on horseback in a private procession with the state retinue in the background. By an unknown Murshidabad artist, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India, 1756–1757. Museum reference: V.2021.34.
Painting of Shahamat Jang with his adopted son Ikram al-Dawla sitting underneath a canopy, by an unknown Murshidabad artist, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India, 1748–1750. Museum reference: V.2021.32.
About the project
After spending fifteen years in India, mostly Bengal, Scotsman Archibald Swinton (1731–1804) returned to Britain in 1766 with a collection of intricate paintings. Unlike many others of his European contemporaries, who followed local custom and kept such paintings in albums for personal enjoyment, Swinton had them framed in India ready for public display back home.
Our project examines these objects as sites of cross-cultural encounters between Bengali artisans and Scotsman Archibald Swinton in the mid-18th century. We aim to answer the following questions:
- What was Archibald Swinton’s rationale for building this collection?
- Through material analysis, to what extent can we establish how the paintings were made?
- How does the process of their creation shed light on the cultural exchanges between European customers and Indian artisans?
- How did different people interact, shape and alter these paintings over the 250 years of their existence?
- What is the contemporary relevance of the paintings and our findings, and how should/can we communicate them to the widest possible audiences?
To answer these questions, we have created a multidisciplinary team from National Museums Scotland that includes experts in paper and artefact conservation, photography, heritage and analytical science, and art history. Through the application of visual and scientific analytical techniques and the analysis of historical sources, we will reconstruct the social history of Swinton’s paintings and build a narrative of his collecting rationale. The results of this project will be disseminated through academic papers, online content and engagement with descendant communities in India and Scotland.
Photography contributes to how we see paintings. We are experimenting with different light sources to make more details visible.
Detail of the palace scene photographed using standard visible light. Museum reference: V.2021.35.
Detail of the palace scene photographed under Ultraviolet (UV) induced visible light. Depending on their composition, certain materials can absorb ultraviolet radiation and emit visible light, making them appear to "glow". This phenomenon of fluorescence can be observed on the yellow-white terrace wall and the yellow carpets of the palace as well as in the woman’s veil and the canopy’s fringe. The greenish fluorescence of the terrace wall could indicate the use of the pigment Zinc White, while the bright yellow one could signal the use of Indian Yellow.
Detail of Nawab Siraj al-Dawla Bahadur (r. 1756–1757) on horseback, photographed under visible light. Museum reference: V.2021.34.
Detail of Nawab Siraj al-Dawla Bahadur on horseback, photographed using rotating raking light which is a technique adapted by the Photography Studio to expose details from multiple directions in one image. Here, the technique reveals the extent of warping in the painting on its support as well as the texture of paint, for example in the horse blanket and the flywhisks.
- Project title
(re)Imaging capacity: Heritage Science applied to the study of Indian paintings from the Archibald Swinton collection
- Project active
17 July 2025 – 31 March 2026
- Research theme
Colonial histories and legacies; Material histories
- Strategic priorities
Developing, preserving and increasing access to the National Collections
Strengthening and sharing collections knowledge and research
- Collaborators
Amy Campbell - Lead Photographer (Collection Services), Lisa Cumming ACR - Conservator (Paper and Textiles Conservation, Collections Services), Juan Pablo Rodríguez Jiménez - Heritage Science Analyst (Collections Services), Charles Stable - Conservator (Artefact Conservation, Collections Services), Dr Lore Troalen - Analytical Scientist (Collection Services) Friederike Voigt - Principal Curator (West, South and Southeast Asian collections, Department of Global Arts, Cultures and Design)
- Project contact
Juan Pablo Rodríguez Jiménez
Heritage Science Analyst
Image gallery
Students in Murshidabad discussing the paintings in Archibald Swinton’s collection, January 2025.
Analytical and Heritage Scientists preparing the painting V.2021.33 for X-Ray Fluorescence analysis at the National Museums Collection Centre laboratory.
Painting V.2021.37 being photographed using a halo light set-up at the National Museums Collection Centre.
Conservators and curator discussing one of the frames at the paper conservation studio in the National Museums Collection Centre.
Funded by
Project made possible with Art Fund support and funding from the National Museums Scotland Charitable Trust and Patricia Barclay.
Credit for the acquisition of the paintings:
Accepted in lieu of Inheritance Tax by H M Government and allocated to the National Museums Scotland, 2021